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ATS vs Job hunters: how you can beat the robot and obtain a career

The problem when a perfect candidate sends a resume and gets rejected is extremely unfair and rather common throughout the job search. That’s why job hunters may get down by Applicant Tracking System. Do you really know whom you try to impress? While most candidates think their resumes have at least 6-second to grab recruiter’s attention, the truth is, they don’t have even one. In case if the company’s staff amounts to 50+ workers, the applicants’ resume is very likely to be screened by ATS resume checker. Luckily, resume specialists understand how the system works and how to create an ATS-friendly resume and what top rated resume writing services to use so can survive the robots’ estimation.

Know Your Enemy

Keep in mind that your resume will face the Applicant Tracking System, so your resume/CV writing should have a strong strategy. Firstly, search the web and read what are ATS systems, what does ATS stand for, find all the important information about resume scanning and realize how the system works. Applicant Tracking Software is used by companies to process dozens of resumes faster and reduce biases. At this initial check, the ATS estimates resumes and rejects about 70% of them. The ATS focus on the proper format from the document along with the required qualifications. You’ll be invited to the interview only if your resume application matches the set ATS resume format. Otherwise, the system will probably send you and an automated rejection e-mail just after the screening. Make sure you are familiar with the job requirements and learn how to write resume outline first.

Keep It Simple

Although fancy fonts and graphic design resumes may grab the attention of the recruiter, but on the other hand when we are dealing with robots, unusual formatting won’t be seen or is able to make a standout resume careening worse. According to the pieces of research mentioned in Forbes, about 75% of great candidates usually don’t go through the ATS due to incorrect resume format. After checking some ATS-friendly resume samples, it is possible to see the basic tendencies applicants need to follow. Be aware that PDF documents usually are not readable for candidate tracking systems, therefore it% is better to choose Word format. Resume fonts play big parts as well, career advisors recommend to use standard fonts like Verdana, Arial, Cambria or Calibri. Moreover, all these tables, columns, text boxes, images can damage the readability of your resume.

Use Buzzwords and Keywords

The ATS won’t browse the whole texts of resumes for job application. It just searches for the targeted keywords and relevant buzzwords. Deficiency of necessary keywords might ruin your chances to pass the test. Carefully estimate t the main element of your resume to understand which words are actually important for the current position. The ATS resume needs to contain professional terms and jargons. Look through job description carefully and find the words that describe the qualifications of a perfect candidate. An ATS-friendly resume template might additionally provide you with a hint of what phrases to pick. So it may be useful to check the other vacancies in the field. Create a list of keywords and phrases and include them on your resume. It is likely that a hiring manager includes these keywords in tracking software and system will search for them. If the resume contains the needed number of keywords’ it is more likely to pass the test.

Use Professional Resume Headings

Creative headings are often used by candidates to make their resumes stand out. It is possible to see “things I am good at” instead of “skills”, or “my best results” instead of “achievements”. In the desire to make their resumes outstanding, candidates make creative resume headings. It is possible to see “things I am good at%” instead of “skills”, or “my best results” instead of “achievements”. Due to the Bersin research robots are not able to recognize formatting types that differ from the standard. In their research they create a perfect resume of a very suitable candidate, but with this slight changes. As the result, it got only 43% relevance. According to this data, unconventional approaches might ruin chances to pass the ATS check.

Social Media Matters a Lot

If you still think social media accounts are just for fun think about it once more. It’s amazing, but some resume screeners check your social networks to get more information about the potential employers. Therefore, your profile shouldn’t contain bullies, racism content, inappropriate privet photos, etc. It is recommended to use social accounts strengthen your resume, prove your qualifications, and build your personal brand.

Be Careful with Dates and Abbreviations

Dates and abbreviations in your resume increase chances to beat the ATS check. The machine probably will screen dates to find out if the candidate has enough experience to the position and if there were gaps in your employment history. If you thinking about what resume format to choose to survive the ATS screening – choose a chronological format. Better use well-known professional abbreviations in your resume, as the hiring manager is very likely to enter them into the software. The machine recognizes the abbreviations and acronyms only if they are spelled out. Applicant Tracking System scanning makes applicant scared and stressed. Lots of candidates give up trying to create a perfect resume and ask professional resume writers and career coaches for help or use online resume builders. At the same time, this resume screening software helps recruiters to speed up the hiring process and reduce biases on the initial phase of recruiting. 94% of recruiters found ATS have a positive impact on the hiring process. The ATS test might be passed if the candidate is careful with using the correct resume format, pay attention to details and use relevant to the position keywords, don’t make mistakes in the text and keep social media accounts clean from inappropriate content. Follow these simple rules and nothing will stop you from receiving a job you have always wanted!